The present invention relates to trowels for spreading material on a surface. More particularly, the present invention relates to a trowel having a handle adjustable to a left-handed orientation or a right-handed orientation.
It is well-known by contractors, builders, construction workers, and do-it-yourself-ers that, prior to installing many types of floor and wall coverings, such as tile, carpet, etc., it is necessary to prepare the surface to be covered by spreading glue, plaster or the like evenly over the surface. In the past, this has been accomplished by using hand tools, such as trowels, for finishing concrete, plaster or the like. Conventional trowels are typically constructed of a flat metal plate blade having a toothed edge and a handle extended above and parallel to the plate by a support welded to the plate. The handles of these conventional trowels have been constructed of solid wood, plastic or the like and attached to the plate blade.
However, trowels such as those described above, have certain disadvantages. For example, the use of such trowels can result in blisters being formed on the surface of a user's hand. This can result in the user experiencing pain that impedes their ability to perform the tasks they need to accomplish. These blisters are caused by the conventional handle being designed to be gripped in the same manner by every user, regardless of whether the user is left-handed or right-handed.
Various attempts have been made to overcome the problems associated with conventional trowels. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,472 discloses a trowel for applying adhesives. However, while the trowel provided a reversible handle that would increase the usable life of the blade, the orientation of the handle is still indifferent to the handedness of the user. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,980 discloses a trowel designed to prevent blisters from forming on the user's palms. However, the orientation of the handle is still indifferent to the handedness of the user. In a further example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,204 discloses a handle for a trowel and related tools. However, while the handle is designed to increase the user's control of the trowel, the orientation of the handle is still indifferent to the handedness of the user. The importance of a user being able to control the trowel in order to spread material evenly over a surface in a smooth manner is well-known but a tool that fails to take a user's left or right-handedness into account fails to recognize this important aspect of control.
Accordingly, there is a need for a trowel which conforms to a user's left or right-handedness. There is an additional need for a trowel having a handle that is easy and comfortable to hold. There is also a need for a trowel that allows the current user to be able to adjust the trowel to conform to that user's handedness. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.